Who Said Fashion & Food Don't Mix?: Taste Awards 2013

The Kenyan foodie honours - the TASTE Awards - are back! My invite is firmly secured, so I can now focus my attention on what’s really important - what I’m going to wear. Likely something with a little give at the waist (there'll be food and a lot of free wine) and a not-too-crazy heel (it’s at Karura Forest). I'm racking my brain about how my outfit can reference food/the decadent life in some way... One must dress to theme!

There’ll be an afterparty of course with the always colourful DJ Cortega, Electrique DJs and The Beat Parade Band, and also some fashion thrown in for good measure – design house KikoRomeo will be awarding the Chef of the Year with a specially designed jacket. KikoRomeo's annual fashion extravanganza FAFA capped last year with some good noise, so it seems fitting that they be involved in what I consider to be the kick-off to this year's social calendar (in Nairobi). 

KikoRomeo 2013. Photography by Nadia Mussani.

It’s a lot to look forward to for a Thursday night.

Click here for details about the TASTE AWARDS and find out more about the Awards' collaboration with KikoRomeo here.

KikoRomeo 2013. Photography by Nadia Mussani.

I'll be posting pictures.

Behind-the-Scenes: Mashariki Mix (It's Almost Valentine's)

Mashariki Mix presenters Sarah Hassan & Nic Wangundu

Sarah wears a sweeping gown by designer GALINA TATARINOVA 

Shot at micro-brewery Brew Bistro in Nairobi

Watch Mashariki Mix Tuesday and Sunday nights at 19.30 on MNET AfricaMagic.

A REVLON Garden Party. Just What I Need.

Along with this tantalizing invitation, the lovely people at REVLON sent over this even more lovely box of goodies (vintage postcards, macaroons, incense, and some pot-pourie). I am majorly excited about this, not least the "Garden party attire" part.

I will be posting pictures. Thank-you Revlon.

Finally! The SAUTI SOL Project on "Mashariki Mix"

PRODUCTION Nusu Nusu Productions for Mashariki Mix
PRODUCER Annabel Onyango (DRESSUPNATION)


Big thank-yous to Team Mitchener @houseoffoto, @BartonMelabloom, and @Triciawanjala for good times making this vid! Wanna do it again sometime?

Watch Mashariki Mix at 19.30 on Tuesday & Sunday nights on M-NET AfricaMagic.

Texture Texture Texture. Texture.

"On the Street ... Via Camperio, Milan" - The Sartorialist

TheSartorialist.com isn't the first site I'll go to for 'what's latest in fashion'. It's more of a cult thing I have about the blog and what it represents. I like imagining about the situations of the different characters; it's way more than just about the clothes. Plus the photography is gorge (obviously).

I love, love this outfit I saw on the blog today. It's a perfect outfit with its combination of different textures (fur, leather, tassles, metallics...). I live in Nairobi, Kenya - dead centre on the equator (read: hot as hell most of the time); and still I could die for a vintage fur coat. Just like the one this girl is wearing. Also, there's something sexy about a glam outfit worn with gritty shoes.

This shot looks so staged, so theatrical, and that makes me love it even more.

Behind-the-Scenes: Mashariki Mix, Episode 56

Presenter Sarah Hassan wears a corset dress from Steve's Collection. The earrings are vintage silver drops.

Presenters Nic and Sarah. Shot at The Bedelle.

Watch Mashariki Mix Tuesdays and Sundays at 19.30 on channel 151 AfricaMagic (MNET).

REAL Vintage, No Filter

I was cleaning out my spare room (ie, throwing everything out) the other day, when I found this stunning jem. The back of the photograph reads: "Piazza Del Duomo, Milan, Apr. 1986". It's an image of my dad Tony Onyango on a trip to Italy when I was 5 years old. Notice Dad's classic trench, super shiny shoes, and immaculate afro. It's dapper perfection.

And people wonder how come I'm a Stylist.

And of course I couldn't resist a little Instagramization (just to keep it fresh):

Behind-the-Scenes: Mashariki Mix, Episode 55

Mashariki Mix presenter Miss Sarah Hassan in Jorge's Wardrobe.

I source quite a bit from Jorge's Wardrobe (Wood Avenue, Kilimani) for a lot of my work. The store's warehouse style is not for the faint of heart, but a little patience and some assistance from the super friendly shop assistants (including Jorge himself) will usually end with you getting what you need. Their prices are fair, and people will never know that your dress came out of a pile on the floor of a container.

BUT. For this last Mashariki shoot I went to their OTHER branch in Hurlingham. It's mostly a shoe store but they have clothes too. This red maxi dress fits Sarah to a tee, with some gold accessories to dress it up a bit; plus I like asymmetrical shapes on her. For myself, I snagged these leopard wonders:

Gorge, non? Original ALDO for Ksh 6000 (USD 70).

Watch Mashariki Mix Mondays & Tuesdays at 19.30 on AfricaMagic (MNET), and if you're in Nairobi and a shoe addict, acquaint yourself with Jorge's Hurlingham branch at the Safeway Plaza on Argwings Kodhek Rd.

Partners in Crime

Make-up artist Mr. Steve Koby and I. 

We're working on a project and we're excited about it.

Behind-the-Scenes: Mashariki Mix (Styled by DRESSUPNATION)

Presenter Sarah Hassan wears VIVO at the Junction Mall

Presenters Nic Wangundu & Sarah Hassan

Even pretty girls have a sense of humour.

Watch Mashariki Mix Season 2 on Tuesday & Sunday nights at 19.30 on AfricaMagic (M-NET) channel 151.

The SAUTI SOL Project

Last November we partnered with some friends with the aim of creating a poster for Kenyan boy band SAUTI SOL. We organized a photo-shoot, which tv show Mashariki Mix covered and aired on Christmas day. These are the final images.

Thank-you to everyone who helped make it happen, and most of all to the band - Chimano, Delvin, Polycarp, and Bien - you guys are for real the illest/funniest/cutest/silliest/most talented band in the land.

Credits
PHOTOGRAPHS Teddy Mitchener (House of Fotography)
PRODUCTION/STYLING Annabel Onyango
WARDROBE Barton Melabloom
MAKEUP Tricia Wanjala

It's a New Year

HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm back after an extended holiday hiatus. I didn't actually mean to go m.i.a. the entire Christmas season but there was just too much going on (obviously). So, a quick catch-up on some of what went on...

Christmas Day was all about family. A huge early morning breakfast (pancakes, proper cake, omelettes, salad, toast), church, and then a massive spinach pizza and lots of wine for lunch. In my family Christmas is about food. I unintentionally ended up looking pretty retro 70's, captured here on Instagram filter "1977".

Christmas Day, 2012

My ever-growing love for Instagram (belated) has blossomed over the holiday period, because suddenly I had all this time to take pictures of things outside my usual fashion realm.

Santa also came through roaringly.

Lancome perfume, an owl face bangle, & a box full of frilly underwear from VS!

Pony hide bag from one of my faves, Bush Princess

On Boxing Day we packed the car to the roof and headed into the countryside. The Kenyan countryside is a stunner this time of year. Everywhere the hills are green and rolling as can be. At the country homestead, everything is charming and life there is soo different to the city. The days last long and there's nothing to do all day except explore the land, cook a great deal, and play Scrabble.

A sheep.

Kids at the homestead, Byron & Ruth.

Birds galore as we buy fish at Homa Bay

New Year was perfect if low-key this year. Our plans to go to the coast having fallen through, my Czech friends decided to have a chlebicky (kle-beech-key) competition. Chlebicky is a specialized open sandwich Czechs eat at this time of year. Not really grasping the full cultural significance, I made mine with an egg salad base, grilled zuchini, feta, and sundried tomato. I'm not the greatest cook in the world, but unbelievably, I won! There was no prize, save life-long bragging rights (which was good enough) and lots of frothy champaign at midnight :-)

The winning 3 chlebicky; mine is the one on the top.

Chlebicky; this one (made by my Marek) has organic eggs, ham, & caviar. Fancy.

 

Happy new or continued beginnings to everyone. Now we do it all again...